December 16, 2019

Iceland: Day II — The Mountain Shaped like an Arrowhead

Jet lag got the best of me, so I wound up editing photos at 2AM. Outside the wind roared so loud I was afraid the roof would tear right off. The dim fairy lights against the clean wood of the cabin felt nostalgic and I found myself just listening to the wind for a few hours. By the time it was ready to pack, the sun finally began to rise.

All around the cabin was a beautiful sight, you could even see Kirkjufell from one of the windows.

Outside it was cloudy and everything was a beautiful white, blurring the horizon. Our Airbnb hosts were very gracious and allowed us to visit the horses and sheep in between their work. She talked about the competition and farm horses, and showed us the gate that’s been around since she was little. Her dad made it by hand, but it’ll be replaced with a brand new one soon. One of the sheep knows it’s name, and supposedly sheep can recognize up to 30 faces.

Horses that are older spend time in the mountains for the winter, but the younger ones still need some training. It would be great to stop by in the summer – apparently they offer horse rides then!

Their house even has a lighthouse, but it was a 20 minute walk and we had to be on the road. Four minutes away was Kirkjufellfoss and Kirkjufell. It was featured in Game of Thrones season 7, known as the “mountain shaped like an arrowhead.”

While taking photos of the waterfall, two couples were talking to each other. One of them had never seen snow before, so this experience was very magical to her. Having lived in Washington most of my life, it never stops to amaze me how many people go into adulthood never seeing certain natural phenomenons – most of all snow.

We stopped by Grundarfjordur to grab something to eat. There was a gas station and a market, so we got hot dogs, kleina, and some snacks. There were some familiar items and some unique ones.

Our drive over to Reykholt took us back through Borgarnes, so we made another stop at Geirabakari. Their astarpungar is just too good! This time we caught the setting sun, which painted different colors into the ice.

Since we were driving more inland, the mountains and cliffs aren’t quite as dramatic, but the view is endless. It’s a very different sight from Washington’s mountain ranges covered in evergreens – something about seeing everything for miles feels safe and quiet.

Our Bed and bath (blue grove guesthouse) was fortunately right off the highway. The snow was piled up so high though! I loved the cabin feel of this place – it reminded me of the winter church camps I used to go on.

Before everything closed, we walked across to Mika. This was my favorite meal so far. Their Langoustine soup and Langoustine salad was so rich and the portions were incredible. Too incredible, maybe, because I had no room for dessert.